The Unknown Underdog
by midnightdreamer4925
Summary: When Sasha comes to train at the Rock, he brings a gymnast with him to train alongside Payson, Kaylie, Lauren, and Emily. Little do they know, this new girl is his daughter.
1. Monday Morning

[ Author's Note: This is set in season one after episode four, "Sunday, Bloody Sasha, Sunday". The whole Lauren and Carter sex scene did not happen. I have other ideas for that situation. ]

Monday 4:30 A.M

"Come on, Ariana." Sasha barked as he tossed his teenage daughter a Deer Park water bottle and a protein bar. Aria moaned to leave her alone in reply, but her father insisted she wake up this instant. Ariana kicked the quilt from her petite frame and sat up in the bed. They lived in a small trailer parked at the Rocky Mountain Training Center. There was enough room in it for a queen sized bed, a fold out couch, and a kitchenette. Her father had claimed the couch when they moved into it the day before which left Aria with the bed. It was cramped compared to their two bedroom log cabin in Cambria, California. They happily lived deep in the woods until Steve Tanner decided to recruit her father to coach at the Rocky Mountain Training Center. Her dad agreed, but only under his terms. Terms that allowed Ariana to train side by side with the top gymnast in the country. It would be an incredible experience for her before she was to compete at Nationals. Her gymnastic experience had been solo up until now. Her father and grandfather coached her, but she never worked with gymnast her age or competed against them.

Ariana peeled back the wrapper of the protein bar and took a bite. Her father had left the trailer to go unlock the gym before any of the gymnast arrived. Aria glanced down at her pajama clad body. Setting her breakfast down on the sheets, Aria reached under her bed for a suitcase that contained every leotard she owned. She rifled through the neatly folded stacks until she found her favorite black leotard and matching shorts. Aria packed the clothes into her gym bag along with her grips, water bottle, snacks, extra hair ties, bobby pins, and I-Pod. With everything packed, Aria slipped out of the trailer into the cool darkness of early morning. The parking lot was barren which meant no one had arrived yet. Aria sprinted across the asphalt and entered the gym. Her dad was tucked away in the office digging through a filing cabinet in the dim light of dawn. Aria waved before heading for the locker room. She had just enough time to change out of her pajamas and into her gym clothes before her new teammates arrived. They could not find out that she was Sasha's daughter, and pajamas would be a dead giveaway.

Managing to change into her gym wear without an issue, Ariana tossed her thick blond locks into a messy bun and grabbed her water bottle and grips for the uneven bars. She strided out of the locker room into the main gym that was now brightly lit. The overhead fluorescent lights buzzed as they brightened up. Aria placed her grips and water aside plopped down on a bright blue mat. Stretching her legs out in front of, the teenage girl reached her hands past her toes with ease. The silence of the gym was interrupted when a group of four girls entered. Aria glanced their way before continuing to stretch out her limbs. She could not help but notice that the pointless chit chat stop when they noticed her. Ariana ignored the blank stares as the girls strode past her. Only the elites had to be here at five in the morning, so Ariana's presence must have been a shock.

"Coach Belov, can I start on vault?" Ariana asked her father. It was strange to refer to him as anything besides dad or daddy. Sasha, who had just entered the floor nodded, and Aria walked over to the runway. She currently performed a Double Twisting Yurchenko, but she hoped to upgrade it to an Amanar with time and practice. Her current vault had a 5.8 difficulty rating compared to the Amanar's 6.5. Aria dusted her hands and the soles of her feet with chalk before standing at the end of the eight two foot blue carpeted runway. Aria hopped up and down on her toes a few times before starting her sprint down the runway, gaining speed with each step. The Double Twisting Yurchenko start with a round off back handspring into a double twisting layout. Aria had just began her double twist when the Rock Rebels exited the locker room. "That is just as clean or cleaner than yours Pay." Kaylie whispered in disbelief. They had no clue who the new girl was or how well she performed, but now seeing her vault, they knew she had a chance of knocking Emily out of the top three just like Emily had done to Lauren. "Why is she here? I just started to like Emily, and now we have another girl to worry about messing with our ranks." Lauren complained.

"Remember to point your feet. It's an one tenth of a point deductions if you flex them." Sasha corrected before glancing towards the other four girls. "Get to work! This is not a time for socializing." he bellowed. His voice sent the four girls scrambling towards the balance beam. Sasha turned his attention back to his daughter. Her vaults were clean after a reminder or two to point her feet or keep her legs glued together, and as much as he hated to admit it, she was almost ready for the Amanar. Sasha did not want to upgrade it because he knew how dangerous the extra half twist was. If she was going to up her vault, he was not going to teach or train it with her. Helping her with the Double Twisting Yurchenko was hard enough to do. "Again Aria, point your feet this time." Sasha asked as he stood next to the vaulting table. Ariana sprinted to the start of the runway and chalked up again. She repeated the trick she had just performed only with pointed feet. "Better. Get ready for beam. You will work with Payson and Lauren." he instructed before heading to his office to grab his clipboard.

[ Author's Note: I am only now entering the world of gymnastics. Code of points, names of tumbling passes, etc meant nothing to me before. I had never heard of a Double Twisting Yurchenko before I wrote this story. I did do my research though. I know in the 2013 code of points the value of the Amanar has been lowered. For my sake, I am using the 2008-2012 code of points because I can find more information on it. There will be drama in this story, but I figured I might as well use correct gymnastic terms and such. Please leave reviews.]


	2. Meet The New Gymnast In Town

[ Author's Note: Thank you for all your reviews, favorites, and following. I have a poll up for this fic, so feel free to leave your vote. Enjoy chapter two! ]

"I may have accepted Emily into our group, but there is no way I am making another exception." Lauren whined as they began to stretch out. She was only beginning to adapt to the idea of Emily being in their social circle and teammate, so as far as this new girl was concerned, Lauren did not want anything to do with her. The team ranking for Nationals was held the previous week when the Rocky Mountain Training Center head coach was Marty but with a new coach and gymnast, the idea of a second in house meet was not unheard of. "Relax Lo. She has a clean Double Twisting Yurchenko on vault. For all we know, she could be a specialist just like you are a beam specialist. Her other routines could suck." Kaylie offered in hopes to calm her friend. Lauren did not object to that. Besides, if Sasha was going to have them compete again and rank them again, Lauren had to focus on cleaning her own routines. She was no doubt the best beamer in the country, but her floor looked sloppy and her bars were far from perfect. There was also the fact that her friends had just forgiven her for running off with Marty and the rest of the Rock's first flight to Denver when Emily beat her out for third place. She couldn't run off again, and even if she did, she had nowhere else in Colorado to go.

Their conversation was abruptly ended when Sasha approached with the new girl. "This is Ariana. She is an elite gymnast that has not been debuted to the public or NGO. She is going to be training with you four. Ariana, meet Payson, Kaylie, Lauren, and Emily." he introduced. Ariana glanced at each girl even though she already knew their names. "Hi. My name is Ariana, but I go by Aria for short. You can call me either." Ariana offered. " Now that that is over. Emily and Kaylie, I want you training bars for the first rotation. I will be over in a few minutes to watch both of your current routines." Sasha instructed. The two girls stood up and walked towards the apparatus. "Ariana, Lauren, and Payson, you will be starting on beam. We will be running Payson's routine first." he added before following the three girls to the beam. Payson stood next to the apparatus waiting her cue to go. A nod from Sasha, and she began with her mount, a Flank to Rear Support. It was a simple mount, but like most elites who were not beam specialist, Payson did not want to waste her time on a complex mount that could risk her whole routine so early. The rest of her routine was decent; beam was her worst event by far. Sasha observed carefully, pen in hand. He took notes on skills to clean, change, add, or delete as she ran through her routine. The girl needed more grace and less power, a complaint he had since watching her compete on his television in Cambria. Her dance elements were just there because it was a compulsory skill required by the code of points, nothing beautiful about them. "Good. Ariana?" he murmured while jotting down his final thoughts.

"Look Pay, I think we found her weakness. The balance beam is her kryptonite." Lauren whispered cockily. Payson could not deny that, Aria's beam was worse than her own. Despite it being a simple routine that met the requirements, the new girl still managed to rack up a number of balance checks and other deductions. "See Lo, she is not an all around gymnast. She is no threat to your title of 'Queen of the Beam'." Payson tried to comfort. "Looks like we have our work cut out for us. Less working on your vault and more focusing on beam." Sasha noted without lifting his head. "Let us see what the Queen of the Beam can do. You may start Lauren." he added turning his line of vision to the blonde dressed in a lime green leotard. Lauren had the most complex out and the highest D.O.D of the three beam routines. She executed it with a fiery passion bringing out the sexiness of tumbling across four inches of wood. The routine was there, but Sasha knew she did not have the drive or passion like her teammates. Lauren stopped at satisfactory unless it was her beam routine. Her other routines needed an overhaul, and she needed a mindset similar to Payson's if she was ever going to be an all around gymnast at the London games. "Ignore Lauren. She is out to get everyone competing against her." Payson mentioned quietly to Ariana as Lauren was doing her dismount.

"What do you think, Em?" Kaylie asked as she chalked her hands and feet. "She is in the same place I was Kay. I think we should accept her because I did not get the warmest welcome, and I don't want Ariana to go through that." Emily offered in response before Kaylie started down the runway to do her one and a half twisting Yurchenko. "You didn't get enough height." Emily critiqued before chalking up. "I will try my best to make her feel welcome, but I cannot promise liking her or responsibility for Lauren's actions." Kaylie mumbled as she stood aside to watch Emily do her own vault.

"So Aria, where are you from?" Payson asked to try to gather information on the gym's newest member. "California. I did live overseas for a majority of my life, but I was born in the States originally. We moved to Europe when I was two, and we returned to the United States when I was fifteen."Ariana offered as they awaited further instructions from Sasha who had walked over to see Emily's and Kaylie's vault. Lauren was currently on the beam doing front aerials. "Where did you live in Europe?" Payson asked while watching Lauren in case she stumbled. "We moved around a lot. I have fond memories of living in London, but we spent a majority of our time in Romania." Aria confessed. "Why are you training here instead of Europe or California?" Lauren asked accusatively as she hopped down from the beam. Ariana glanced towards Sasha and Kaylie before looking at Lauren. "The Rocky Mountain Training Center is one of the top gyms in the country, and I plan on attending the 2012 London games." Ariana replied with confidence despite half of it was a lie. She did plan on competing in London, it was her dream. She was truly training at the Rock because her dad was their new head coach, but that was a secret. Lauren shook her head in response to Ariana's answer and walked off towards the water cooler. Her daddy could get this girl kicked out if she did anything to disrupt Lauren's chances of medaling at Nationals.

[ Author's Note: Anyone bored yet? I feel like there is no drama or cliff hanger to leave you on the edge of your seat? There will be chapters of that nature soon. I promise. Please leave your reviews and don't forget to vote in my poll. ]


	3. Salads, Smoothies, and Sasha Meetings

[ Author's Note: Sorry for taking so long to update. I had a muse to work on my other stories that I abandoned, and I hope to update those within the next few days. Thanks for the support, reads, reviews, votes, favorites, and follows. I take the time to read your input and try to adjust to what my reader's want. Don't be afraid to speak up by leaving a review or voting in my poll. No one picked up on the mistake in the last chapter I take it? ]

The morning passed quickly and quietly. Soon enough, it was time for their hour lunch break, and Payson was suggesting they hit Spruce Juice for smoothies and salads. Ariana did not reject the offer to join because she needed a tour of the town. She had flown in from Cambria the evening before and she had yet to have a chance to explore Boulder. The five girls walked to their favorite lunch spot. Kaylie and Lauren took the lead as they gossiped about Kaylie's oh so secret relationship with Carter. Emily and Payson were discussing their training, and Ariana just followed along. She did not having anything to add to either conversation. "Do you have a boyfriend, Aria?" Kaylie asked. Ariana took a minute to answer since the question came out of nowhere. "I moved around too much to even form solid friendships, let alone a boyfriend. Even if I didn't move a lot, my father would kill me if he caught he so much talking to a boy who is not a coach, parent, or teammate." Aria answered. She did have her eye on one of the boys coaching in the gym that morning. He slightly resembled Kaylie, but he definitely was hitting on Emily. "That means you should not have a problem with the gym rules about relationships. Finally, someone who cares as much as about gymnastics as I do." Payson blurted in. "She never said that Pay, so Aria, is anyone at the Rock cute?" Kaylie continued her questioning. Ariana racked her brain for an answer. She didn't want to fess up about the cute assistant coach if he was related to Kaylie or was in a relationship with Emily. "I have not had a long enough break to check them out." Aria replied as they walked into Spruce Juice. "Just stay away from Carter because Kaylie has dibs." Lauren added in.

Lunch went smoothly as the girls transitioned from interrogating Ariana on boys to the upcoming party that the Cruz's held before Nationals. The offer to come was extended to Ariana. Aria was unsure if she would attend. Her father would be attending since he was the new head coach at the Rock, but Ariana did not know how it would work without giving away that she was his daughter. If she showed up without parents, there would be questions. Her mother had not been in her life since Ariana was a two years old. Aria knew little about her, and she only had pictures and a name to remember her by. "Do you have any dresses?" Kaylie asked and snapped Ariana out of her cloud of thoughts. "No. Back in California, I lived in the woods. I didn't get out much since I was home schooled and had training. I have never really needed one." Ariana explained. "You could come shopping with me and Pay after practice. Emily has to work, and Lauren has already found the perfect dress." Kaylie suggested. "I will ask my dad. We are still settling into our new place and all." Ariana replied before taking the last bite of her summer salad.

"I want you conditioning while I meet with each of you individually about your routines. Lauren, I want to meet with you first." Sasha instructed as the girls returned from lunch. Kaylie and Emily groaned at the idea of conditioning after the conditioning workout they had to do yesterday. Payson and Ariana took it with stride as they headed to the high bar to do pull ups. Lauren followed Sasha up the steps and into his office, taking a seat on the couch across from his desk. Sasha took a seat in his office chair and placed her file down in front of him. "You have had no major injuries and solid routines in the past. For all around, bars, floor, and vault, you have ranked third since becoming a junior elite; always second to Payson and Kaylie. You typically rank first for beam." he began as he looked at the papers kept by Marty. "The rumors about your beam are true. There is nothing I want to change about the routine since it is the highest degree of difficulty in this whole gym for beam. We are going to keep your vault the same as well. The One and a Half Twisting Yurchenko is not as hard as your teammates, but it is already clean for Nationals. I really want to focus on upgrading your floor routine and working on your connection with the audience." Sasha explained as he glanced over his own notes. "That is all for now. Would you mind sending Emily in?" he dismissed before closing her file. Lauren nodded and headed out of the office. Doing as she was told, she passed the message onto Emily then began her conditioning circuit.

Sasha talked to each girl; each meeting similar. Kaylie's vault and floor would remain the same, but they add some new elements to her bars and beam routines. Emily bars were the best, but she could use the work on vault. The girls took his comments with stride. Next up was Payson, who probably would be the least accepting to his ideas despite her idolizing him. "Your file reads that you tore your ACL when you were a junior, and you are dealing with a herniated disc. You are ranked number one in everything besides beam, and you have a lot of flashy power moves. Your vault, bars, and beam will stay as they are. I want to change some of the elements of your floor. You have the power, I want to teach you grace and beauty." Sasha addressed. "I want you to have surgery to fix your herniated disc. It will only have you out for a few weeks. You won't be able to train your routines, but you can begin dance lessons." Sasha suggested, knowing she would be dead set against it. "You are free to go. Practice is over. Tell your mother to get in touch, and send Ariana in here when she is finished changing. Have a good night." Sasha blurted out before Payson could say a word.

[ Author's Note: I know, there is still no major drama. I promise it is getting there. This chapter was the starting point for the drama to come. The story will pick up from here. Hoped you enjoyed chapter three. Do not be afraid to leave a review, message me, or vote in my poll.]


	4. An Angry Payson

Payson was infuriated when she left her meeting with Sasha. How dare he say she needed less power and more grace and beauty. Payson worked long and hard to get all of her power moves, and now this new coach wanted to toss them aside in return for ballet. It was not a sacrifice she was going to make willingly. Her herniated disc did not act up as long as she had her cortisone shots every six months, and she was planning on managing the pain until after the London games. Surgery would only set her back a few weeks, and the few weeks she would lose would be weeks that gymnast like Kelly Parker or Genji Cho would be training their hardest tricks. Payson let out a grunt as she entered the locker room. "Ariana, Coach Belov wants to see you when you are done changing." Payson hollered as she headed towards the shower stalls.

Ariana and Kaylie were the last ones left in the locker room when Payson was finished with her meeting. Emily had to leave to catch her shift at the Pizza Shack, and Lauren had gone home. Kaylie shuddered at the anger in Payson's voice. "Text me about dress shopping. Go see Coach Belov while I settle down Payson." Kaylie ended the conversation. Ariana nodded and grabbed her duffle before fleeing the locker room. "You okay Pay?" Kaylie asked despite knowing the answer. "Sasha Bloody Belov is trying to ruin my dream. He wants me to give up everything I have worked for back surgery to correct my herniated disc. All the power moves I have trained and perfected, I will no longer be able to perform. Instead of training them after I recover from surgery, he wants me to add cutesy dance moves. He wants me doing ballet after the surgery until I can train gymnastics. He didn't say much more, but I know I my floor routine will most likely be redone, and I will have to simplify my bars. My beam, which is currently my easiest routine, will probably be the only event that doesn't change besides vault." Payson ranted as the water from the shower pulsed down on her body. Kaylie took a minute to gather her thoughts and come up with an answer. "Why don't you finish showering, and I will go start up the car. We can go to Spruce Juice for emergency smoothies before shopping." Kaylie suggested.

"You wanted to see me, Coach?" Ariana greeted as she entered her Dad's office. Taking a seat on the couch, Ariana looked at her father who was organizing files into the filing cabinet. "How was your first day of training at the Rock?" Sasha broke the silence as he plucked his own daughter's file from the drawer. He did not need it since he had her information and routines memorized, but it was force of habit to have it out. "Interesting. I believe Lauren has it out to get me. Payson is thrilled that I am as dedicated as she is. Kaylie and Emily seem decent." Ariana answered. Sasha nodded and looked out at the gym. "Your vault looks like it is ready to do at Nationals, and we can discuss upgrading it after Nationals with your Bunic. You need to clean your first tumbling pass on floor. Your dance moves look elegant. Bars are going to remain the same, but we have to work on your beam." Sasha explained. "Yes Tată. Pot să mergeți la cumpărături cu Kaylie și Payson?" Ariana asked in her father's native tongue. "Sure, but I want you home by seven. Do you need cash?" Sasha replied as he reached for his wallet. Pulling out a few twenty dollar bills, Sasha handed it to his daughter. "Multumesc tata!" Ariana thanked before leaving the office. Ariana trotted out of the front lobby and glanced around the parking lot. All of the spaces were clear, so Aria headed into the trailer they now called home. She dropped her gym bag on her bed and grabbed her purse. Kaylie had sent her a text saying to meet at Spruce Juice.

"Pay, you must calm down. I am sure that Sasha will let you train your power moves once you have recovered. Remember, he is doing this to help us, not to hurt you." Kaylie offered in advice as they sipped smoothies for the second time that day. "You do not understand Kaylie. He wants me to train ballet after my surgery. That is the polar opposite of what I have worked for. He is trying to torture me." Payson retorted in distress. Payson had called her mother after changing. To Payson's shock, her parents seemed to like Sasha's idea of treating the injury while it was still fixable. Money was tight, but her father thought he could take on a second job. Her would mother start working, and the family would just have to learn to live as simple as possible. "It's even worse that my parents support him. They should be supporting me. I know what is best for my body, and what my body can handle." Payson added.

"Sasha isn't trying to hurt you Payson. He is trying to help you. When I lived in Romania, the coaches wanted all the girls taking ballet classes to improve their lines and to instill grace into them. Ballet will only make you stronger." Ariana piped in. Ariana knew her father would never try to ruin a gymnast on purpose ever since the accident with Amelia. Ariana had heard the story about the fallen gymnast from her grandfather because it had happened before she was born, but she knew how careful her father was from personal experience. "I believe the Chinese to that too, Pay." Kaylie noted, trying to make Payson change her mind about being against the surgery. "Ballet won't up my D.O.D score though. It will lower it." Payson argued. "Not necessarily. It will help with your execution score, and some of the dance elements can score just as high as your power moves." Ariana countered. Payson sighed in defeat; she couldn't think of something to counter that.

[ Author's Note: Romanian Translations

- Bunic is Grandfather

- Tată is Father

- Pot să mergeți la cumpărături cu Kaylie și Payson? means May I go shopping with Kaylie and Payson?

- Multumesc tata! means Thank You Daddy!

Please leave reviews. I love them, and they help develop the story. ]


	5. Dress Shopping

Dress shopping was not exactly what Payson and Ariana wanted to do. Neither girl had never really worn a dress, so it was overwhelming when Kaylie led them into a dress shop. "Hey Mom!" Kaylie greeted as she spotted her mother already rifling through the racks of dresses. She had agreed to help Kaylie and Payson to find the perfect dress, and she could not wait to get her hands on dressing up Payson. The girl beautiful curves like her mother, but she tended to hide it. "Mom, this Ariana. She just started training at the Rock today. She is an elite." Kaylie introduced. "Hello Mrs. Cruz" Ariana offered her hand to shake. "Ariana is just like Payson. She does not own a dress, so I thought she could tag along." Kaylie continued. Ronnie Cruz smiled and examined the girl over. She was tall for a gymnast, but she had beautiful legs to show off. Her complexion was pale, and she had long strawberry blond hair with bright blue eyes to match. Ronnie thought it would be double the fun to dress up her along with Payson. "Of course. Why don't you girls start browsing? I think I found an orange dress you would look stunning in, Kay." Ronnie suggested as she fingered through another rack of dresses. Kaylie nodded and lead the girls towards the racks in the back of the store. Payson was instantly drawn towards a section of purple colored dresses because purple was her signature color. Payson was less than impressed by all the ruffles and frill on each dress. She refused to embrace femininity because she equated it with weakness. That was part of the reason she was so against learning ballet.

Despite Payson's love of the color purple, Ronnie Cruz picked out some navy blue dress for Payson. She fell in love with an orange dress for Kaylie, and for Ariana, Ronnie had picked out a black dress. "Did you girls find anything?" Ronnie asked as she headed to the dressing rooms with her selections for the girls to try on. The trio followed Kaylie's mother with what they had picked out to try on. "Kaylie, why don't you go first?" Ronnie suggested as she handed her daughter the orange dress. The process of trying on dresses took almost an hour before they were finally finished. Ariana looked at her cell phone, it was 6:29. "I would love to stay and fuss over accessories, but my parents want me home by seven. Thank you again Mrs. Cruz for buying me the dress. You did not have to do that. I will see you guys tomorrow." she sarcastically excused herself. Aria chuckled as Payson rolled her eyes at the thought of obsessing over shoes and earrings with the Cruz women by herself. Aria carefully cradled the garment bag as she exited the mall.

"Dad, I am home." Ariana shouted as she entered the trailer. She carefully laid her dress on her bed and figured her dad was probably still working in the office. Aria shook her head before heading towards the gym's main building. The front door was propped open with a block of wood. Ariana slipped inside and looked towards the gym's office. Sure enough, there was her father sitting at his desk, rifling through papers and typing away at his laptop. Ariana made her way up the steps and knocked on the doorframe before entering. "How was the mall? Did you find anything?" her dad asked as she spread out on the couch. "Torture, but I found a dress for the Cruz's kick off party before Nationals." she answered as she laid back into the cushions. "I am just finishing up making changes to routines, and we can go get dinner. I was thinking Chinese take out. Mrs. Keeler, Payson's mom, suggested a decent take out place when I spoke to her on the phone earlier." Sasha suggested as he scratched down more notes on a piece of paper. "Does that mean I can break my diet for one night? I promise I will do an extra set of conditioning tomorrow." Ariana begged. "I guess you can for tonight." Sasha caved as he closed the manila folder and stashed it away in the filing cabinet. "Thanks Tată! Te iubesc." Aria thanked as she watched her father stand from his desk. "Te iubesc. Don't forget to call your grandfather tonight. He will want to hear about your training." Sasha reminded her before shooing her out of the office, so they could leave.

"That food was worth volunteering to do an extra round of conditioning." Ariana admitted as she set her chopsticks down. "Was it worth enough to get you to do an extra round for the rest of the week?" Sasha joked as he lightly punched his daughter in the shoulder. "No, I only agreed to tomorrow." Ariana reminded as she stood up from the couch. Aria placed her leftovers in the fridge and tossed her used chopsticks in the trash. "I am going to call Bunic." Aria called as she grabbed her cell phone from the bed and left the trailer. "This girl is going to be the death of me if her grandfather approves on upgrading her vault." Sasha muttered as he went to put his own leftovers away and grab a beer. He needed one after the day he had at the gym. Thank god, he had five beers from his lesson yesterday. Attending kegger parties were not a part of Olympic medalist training plans. It made for bad publicity, and showing up to practice with a nasty hangover never ended well. Sasha had offered each girl a beer when they had arrived the morning before, but none of them took a sip. Sasha had recollected the beers after he made his point. If no one was going to drink them, he would get use out of them. Coaching five National bound athletes was stressful. His hardest worker of the group needed surgery, but she was totally against it. The girl with potential but no passion spent her Saturday night at a kegger getting drink. The best beamer in the country was more worried about her social life than training. There was also a successful gymnast who never had any formal training or boundaries. Finally, Sasha Belov had his own daughter, whose identity could not be revealed.

[ Author's Note: I feel like the last few chapters have sucked. I hope they get better. Some reviews would be helpful, and they might get me out of my rut. ]


	6. Crushes On The Coach

[ Author's Note: Thanks for the support on this story. It keeps me going. Enjoy this chapter. ]

"What do you think about Payson Keeler's mom for gym manager?" Sasha asked his daughter as he tugged a clean t-shirt over his head and tossed the soiled one into the hamper. "She seems organized and concerned for everyone at the Rock." Ariana noted as she took a bite of her banana. It was now Friday, and they needed to decide on a gym manager before the Nationals send off party tonight at the Cruz's. The week had been stressful as Sasha tried to figure out the Rock's previous schedule on top of learning the routines of the ten girls heading to Nationals. He had five elites and five juniors that would be traveling out of state to compete against the other top gyms in the country. "She had said she wanted nothing to do with politics, but she would be perfect. Plus, the Keelers could use the extra money since they are going to allow Payson's back surgery." Sasha added as he grabbed an apple for his own breakfast. "When will that be by the way?" Ariana interrupted as she put on her warm ups over her leotard. "I would have prefered to get it this week, but Payson would not allow it. The compromise was we allow her to compete at Nationals with a shot of Cortisone, compete her power moves one final time. She is going to have the back surgery as soon as we return." Sasha detailed as he headed outside. Aria nodded and followed her dad to the gym.

"What are we going to say at the party tonight? I cannot tell them you are my dad, but it looks bad that I don't have a parent there either." Aria asked as her dad fiddled with his keys to unlock the doors. "You can explain that your mother is no longer in your life, and your father had to work to pay for your training." Sasha suggested as the lock finally popped open. It was true, Ariana's mother was not in her life. The woman left after Aria was born because she was in love with another man, another man who did not want her to keep a child that was not his. They had moved to Europe as soon as Sasha got full custody, and Ariana never saw her again. "That could work." Aria agreed as she headed to the locker room. Her mind still tumbling over the thoughts. She quickly finished getting ready to train and headed back into the gym. While she was in the locker room, Leo had shown up and was talking to her father. "Aria, stretch awhile. Leo will be over in a minute to work with you on beam." Sasha instructed. Aria smiled as she started to stretch since she had a crush on Leo. Throughout the week, she had gathered that he was Kaylie's brother, but his status was single.

"Kaylie says it is your first week. How are you enjoying the Rock?" Leo asked as Ariana chalked her hands and feet. "It is the first time I worked in a gym this big, so it a change. I been privately trained all my life." Aria answered before setting up the springboard for her mount. "Coach Belov says that beam is your weakest event. I want you to run your routine for me, so I can see your trouble spots. We will go from there." Leo ordered as he stepped back to watch the blonde haired girl. Ariana started with her Thief Vault mount. In her opinion that was the cleanest section of her routine, simply because it was the easiest. Aria continued through her routine. Balance checks were scattered throughout her performance, and she had trouble hitting her split leap. Leo thought for a moment before offering any wisdom. "We are going to work on your beam without training it on beam." Leo started as he glanced towards the annex gym. "Let's head out back, and we start by you doing your routine on a piece of tape on the floor. Once you can do that perfectly, we will move onto the trainer beams that are lower to the ground." he continued before heading off to tell Coach Belov the plan. Ariana took a moment to stare at Leo as he walked away before she retreated towards the annex.

"Do it again. This time I want you to focus on the connections." Leo offered as Ariana finished her routine minus the dismount. She had graduated from the piece of tape on the floor to an actual beam that was six inches off the ground. Ariana started her beam work again with a sigh. Her routine was getting cleaner with each rep, but it was tedious to do it over and over again. "Can we take a break? We have been at this for an hour, and I think it has improved." Ariana begged as she finished her routine once more with only three balance checks. "Sure. We can head back into the main gym to get Sasha. He should see your progress." Leo agreed. Ariana jumped off the beam and grabbed her water bottle. "Why did you quit competitive gymnastics?" Aria inquired as they left the annex. "I have always been second to Kaylie in my father's mind. She got our father's athleticism. I got the brains. I am studying to be a pharmacist which I find a more productive use of my time then trying to please my father by being the world's best gymnast." Leo admitted thinking about his father's obvious favoritism. Kaylie was daddy's little girl, and their mother seemed to be off in another world. "I come from a line of world class gymnasts. My grandfather was Dmitri Belov." Ariana answered without thought of what she just said. Leo memorized her, and the fact that she just might have given away her secret was far from her mind.

[ Author's Note: I love the follows, favorites, and reviews. Keep them coming. The ending is a bit of a cliff hanger, and I will have the next chapter up within the next week, so stay tuned. ]


	7. Relating To Teammates

[ Author's Note: Emjoy ]

Leo's mind pondered the information that was just given to him. He wondered if Dmitri Belov was related to Sasha, but Sasha and Ariana could not be related. They did not even have the same last name. Sasha's last name was Belov, and Ariana's was… He didn't know Ariana's last name. Leo decided that he could research this later, right now he needed to focus on the gymnast he was working with.

Ariana stood at the corner of the spring board mat. After spending the morning with working with Leo, she was now training with Emily on tumbling passes. "That looked great, Emily." Aria called as Emily landed her Double Arabian with only a small stumble. "Thanks!" Em huffed as she walked back over. "Are you ready for tonight? You are new too, so we are in the same boat." Emily asked. "It is the first real party I have ever been to. I am excited and nervous at the same time." Aria replied before she prepped for her own tumbling pass. Emily moved to the center of the mat to spot Aria. Ariana ran to halfway across before going off into her 2.5 twist double front. Aria landed without a step inside the white line. "Nice!" Emily complemented. Aria walked over to Emily. "You wanna work turns?" Aria asked as they still had another hour till practice ended. "Let's get a drink first." Emily nodded towards the water cooler. Aria did not object to taking a break and willingly followed. "Training at the Rock must be different. I know it was for me since I was previously training on playgrounds and at the local YMCA club." Emily commented between sips of water. "Training here has it perks and downfalls. I do not get the one on one work with my coaches like I did before, but that means I do not have someone harping on me constantly at practice. I had two coaches I trained with when I trained privately in Cambria. I did train shortly at a gym in Romania with other girls, but we focused solely on the dance elements on floor and ballet practice. When I trained at the lower levels, I was in a public gym in London." Ariana explained. The Rocky Mountain Training Center was larger than the gyms in Europe. It was more chaotic and loud. "Do your parents watch you train?" Emily continued as she pointed to the parent's viewing room. She did not recall seeing any new parents in there this week. "My mother left when I was a baby. She has not been in my life since. My father is critical of my gymnastics and would love to watch me, but he has to work to support my training." Aria noted trying not to give away her dirty little secret. "My dad is no longer in my life. Just my mother, my brother, and whoever my mom is in love with this week. I think my mother only comes to watch to hit on Steve Tanner or Sasha. She will not admit it though. My brother is wheelchair bound and spends most of his days at home playing video games or doing cyber school." Emily related. "We should probably get back to work before Sasha starts screaming at us." Aria suggested as she tossed her paper cup in the trash.

"Am I allowed back in the Airstream, Aria?" Sasha bellowed from outside the door. "No Dad, I am not ready yet." he heard shouted back from the other side of the exterior wall. The british man shook his head and glanced back at the gym. He had left fifteen minutes ago to shower and change in the locker rooms inside the Rock, so his daughter could have privacy in the trailer to get ready in. In his opinion, getting ready should take no more than twenty minutes to get ready. Of course, girls did not see his viewpoint. They could take hours for their hair alone. "Hurry. The party is going to start soon, and I need my truck keys." Sasha prodded in hopes of getting his daughter to finish getting ready faster. The only response was a grunt followed by the door opening. "You look stunning. My baby girl is growing up." Sasha cooed as he admired what the Ronnie Cruz had picked out for her. The sparkling black dress hugged her small figure and accented her features. She had black heels on, and her hair was braided back into an updo with a few soft curls hanging down. Ariana stepped aside and headed back to her bed where she was working on make up. She carefully seated herself and picked up a tube of mascara. Gingerly, she stroked her eyelashes with the brush with made them look fuller. Sasha couldn't believe that the gymnast he trained every day of her life could look beautiful in something other than a leotard and booty shorts. His mind wandered back to when she was four years old and tried to mimic the models she saw on the television. Of course, Sasha never let her put makeup on, but she would parade around in her fanciest clothing.

Leo stared at his laptop screen. It had taken some digging, but he finally had found some reliable information. Dmitri Belov was in fact the father of Sasha. Sasha was an only child, so it had to make sense that Ariana's was Sasha's child. It was unknown why Sasha stopped coaching the Romanian team, but Leo had a hunch it had something to do with Ariana. Satisfied with his research, Leo clamped the lid to his laptop closed and started to prepare for the send off party. He was not sure what to do with the new information he possessed. Clearly it was a secret since no one knew about it in a gym where gossip spread like wildfire.

[ Author's Note: I know I promised this chapter would be the send off party, but I changed my mind as I was writing it. Please leave reviews.]


	8. He Knows

[ Author's Note: I have been trying to find the fine balance between writing fanfiction, keeping up with my online classes, going to my traditional classes, and marching band. I also have to sleep and eat sometime, so it is a work in progress. Now it is time for the Nationals Send Off Party. ]

Payson could not stand being dressed up. The tulle of her dress was making her thighs itchy, and she could not stand the feeling of lipstick on her lips. If it was not that Kaylie and Lauren spent almost an hour on her hair, Payson would toss the curls into a ballet bun. "Do I have to keep this on all night?" she whined as Lauren dusted Kaylie's cheekbone with blush. "Not only are you on the National team, but you are ranked number one. You must attend and look your best." Kaylie murmured. Payson sighed and glanced out the window. Emily and her mother were pulling up in the driveway. "I am going to go greet Em, so she does not get lost trying to find your bedroom." Payson announced before leaving the bedroom. The Cruz family owned a mansion that Payson got lost in the first few times she visited Kaylie. Payson wandered down the staircase and into the foyer where Mrs. Cruz was waiting for guests to arrive. Payson stood back until she heard on the front door. Ronnie Cruz pulled open the door to reveal Emily and her mother. The duo were complete opposites. Emily was dressed modestly where her mother tried to cover the least amount of skin she could get away with. "Hey Em! Lauren, Kaylie, and I are getting ready in Kaylie's bedroom if you want to join us." Payson offered as the adults headed to the kitchen for cocktails and fruit trays. Grateful to ditch her mother, Emily trotted behind Payson to Kaylie's room. "Are you ready to board a bus for Nationals tomorrow?" Emily inquired as they walked down a long hallway. "I am always ready. My bags are packed, and I am ready to compete. I will never be ready for Nationals to be over since I am getting surgery when we return to fix my back. Fixing my back means time out of the gym, and I lose some of my highest scoring power moves." Payson explained before halting in front of a door. "Oh." Emily sighed as she too came to a stop. Payson opened the door and revealed a pink bedroom where Lauren was getting Kaylie ready. "Hey Em" both girls chorused. Emily waved back and dropped her purse on the floor. "So Em, the important things to remember about tonight is it is all about us. We are representing the Rock at Nationals. We smile for all photos, and there is no drinking for the gymnasts." Kaylie filled in quickly. "Got it!" Emily responded. She did not plan on drinking. Her mother was able to get drunk enough for the both of them. "Ariana is coming, correct?" Lauren confirmed as she started to pack up her makeup supplies. "Yes Lo, and you must be nice to her tonight." Payson reminded.

"Why don't you drop me off outside the Cruz residence in your truck, and you come back to switch to your motorcycle. I am sure the girls will be going somewhere after the party, and you can pick me up there." Ariana suggested as she dangled the truck keys on her finger. "Fair enough. Ready to go?" Sasha replied as he snatched the keys away. Aria nodded and lifted the bottom of her dress up as she made her way out of the Airstream and into the pickup truck. The ride remained relatively silent until they turned onto the Cruz's street. "Dad, just remember to act like I am just another elite gymnast, and I will remember that you are just a coach." Aria reminded as the truck came to a slow halt. Sasha nodded and watched his daughter exit the vehicle and hurry towards the Cruz's mansion. Ariana was careful not to trip in her heels as climbed up the front steps and knocked on the door. It surprised her when Leo Cruz answered the door instead of Kaylie or her mother. "Follow me and hurry," he ordered in a hushed tone. Aria nodded and kicked off her heels, so she could safely follow. Leo lead her upstairs and into a doorway. Upon entrance, Aria could tell it was his bedroom. It was strange to be standing in the bedroom of the guy she had a crush on. Leo closed and locked his door before motioning for her to sit on his unmade bed. Aria obeyed and watched as Leo rolled over his desk chair. "You said at the gym this morning that you come from a line of gymnast, and your grandfather is Dmitri Belov." Leo began as he took a seat. "Most would not think twice about it because you are talented, but when I heard Belov, I started thinking. Sasha's last name is Belov. Could they be related? I went as far to think that you were related to Sasha. When I tried to rule it out, I realized I could not rule you out since I have no clue what your last name is." he continued explaining. "When I got home from the gym, I did my research. Sasha is the son of Dmitri, but he does not have any siblings. The only logical conclusion is that you are in fact the daughter of Sasha Belov. This is only strengthened by the fact you showed up tonight parentless, and every gymnast knows to bring at least one parent to the Nationals Send Off Party. Indeed, you will have your father here later, but you cannot risk your dirty little secret getting out, so you showed up alone." Leo finally ended his case. Ariana just stared at him for a moment before opening her mouth to speak.

[Author's Note: I know it is a bit short, but I wanted to leave a cliff hanger ending. I got so into writing this that my mind switched from author mode to reader mode and began wondering how Ariana is going to react. This has been one of my favorite chapters of this story to write due to the ending of it. I would love to hear your opinions on how Ariana should react, how the party should go, etc. I am excited to begin writing the next chapter.]


	9. The Party

[ Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this chapter because I wrote it when I should have been translating Latin. I love my online Latin class, but I can only take so much translating. Anyway, enjoy! ]

"_The only logical conclusion is that you are in fact the daughter of Sasha Belov. This is only strengthened by the fact you showed up tonight parentless, and every gymnast knows to bring at least one parent to the Nationals Send Off Party. Indeed, you will have your father here later, but you cannot risk your dirty little secret getting out, so you showed up alone." Leo finally ended his case. Ariana just stared at him for a moment before opening her mouth to speak._

"Yes, I am the coach's daughter, but you cannot tell anyone. It is already hard enough when your dad is your coach because he knows every detail about your life, body, diet, and routines. Having everyone else in the gym know would make the situation worse. This is my first time not training privately under my dad and grandfather, and I do not want to ruin it. I want the experience of any other gymnast here tonight. Working with you and the other assistant coaches is an honor because I am treated as just another gymnast not the coach's daughter. Do not get me wrong, Sasha and Dmitri are excellent coaches to train under, but it is just that I am related to them." Aria pleaded. She just finished her first week training at the Rock, and someone already knew her secret. How many people would know before Nationals? Worlds? The Olympics?

"I promise I won't tell anyone if you can answer me this. How do you keep a secret that big hidden at the Rock? I know people that try, but it always gets out within a day or two. You made it a whole work week with only me figuring it out today." Leo promised as he wanted to know her tricks. "I do not use my last name. I only associate with Sasha as a coach when in the gym, and I try to remain under the radar." Ariana said with relief. Leo nodded and peeked out the door. "Kaylie's bedroom is the on the other side of the hallway, The coast looks clear, but if they find you on this side of the house, just say you got lost. Kaylie got lost finding her own room way more times than she would like to admit when we first moved here. It is a believable excuse." Leo advised as he motioned for her to leave his room. Ariana got up from the bed and headed towards the door. Before she stepped into the hallway, Aria paused and kissed Leo. "Thank you" she whispered before leaving without another sound. She took a few steps down the hall and waited until Leo's door clicked closed again to put her heels back on. "Kaylie?" she asked as she tried to determine which door opened to Kaylie's bedroom. Ariana paused as she heard feet shuffling on the other side of one of the doors. A door opened, and Kaylie's head popped out. "In here" she announced and waited for Aria to scurry inside the bedroom.

About forty five minutes later, the five girls exited the bedroom to join the party that sounded like it was in full swing. Payson led the way followed by Lauren, Kaylie, Ariana, and Emily. A round of applause erupted as the girls enter into the living room where the party was going on. Ariana's eyes scanned the crowd of proud parents and other gymnast from the Rock. Her father was standing next to Alex Cruz and Steve Tanner. "It is my honor to present the top five gymnasts that will be representing the Rock at Nationals. Kaylie, Payson, Lauren, Emily, and Ariana." Alex boomed as they approached the crowd. "They grow up so fast, and I am so proud that my daughter is going as part of the top flight to Nationals. You will understand when you have a child." Alex whispered to Sasha. Sasha chuckled on the inside because Alex Cruz had no clue that he just announced Sasha's daughter as part as the top flight for Nationals. "I am sure I will." Sasha muttered back. "Why don't you join the girls? It is photo time." Alex nudged. Sasha looked towards the girls once again and realized they were posing for parents with cameras already. Sasha slipped by the crowd and planted himself in the middle of the five girls. Kaylie with on his right with Lauren on the other side of her. Payson was on his left with Emily next to her, and Ariana on the other side of Emily.

Payson enjoyed the stillness of the Boulder views. The party was becoming overwhelming for her, so she slipped outside to sit on the back patio and regain her thoughts. Tomorrow, they would be boarding a bus, and she needed to get into her competition mindset. Her back had yet to flare up since her last cortisone shot which was over six months ago. If it started to give her problems while she was competing, she would be able to take a shot of cortisone. Payson was determined to savor every last moment of her power moves before she gave them up for something she didn't think she wanted to be. "Should the number one gymnast be enjoying the party?" The peace and silence was broken by the man who broke her dreams. "I am not a party person. I needed a break from the action. Shouldn't you be talking to gym moms to reassure them that their daughter is going wonderful and is just perfect?" Payson fired back. "Touché" Sasha remarked as he took a seat next to Payson. Payson didn't offer anything else but silence.

"Payson, look at me. You are the leader that everyone is looking up to. Whether you realize it or not, the other girls look up to you. If you do your best, they do their best. If you decide not care, they will have that same attitude. You have the power to determine how this team does. I know you are not happy with me because you think I am ruining your career with fixing your disc, but I need you. I need you to go out there and put out an example of what I expect. Can you do that?"

[ Author's Note: The last paragraph is inspired by my percussion instructors. I am one of the two senior percussionists in our marching band, and I am the one everyone is looking up to. Both of my instructors have pulled me aside this year and gave me a speech of that nature at least once.

Please leave reviews! I love each and everyone of them, and I keep them in mind when I write my story. ]


	10. Sleepless Sasha

[Author's Note: I debated over having another scene from the party, but I was not feeling it when I started writing. Enjoy!]

Bus? Check. Luggage? Check. Daughter? Check. Files? Check. Registration Information? Check. Sasha Belov used his black ballpoint pen to mark off everything on his checklist. He had gotten no sleep the night before. The send off party ended at 10:00 P.M, so the girls could get a decent amount of sleep before traveling. Sasha was getting ready to leave the party and meet his daughter at the diner when he notice Emily's mother was too drunk to stand let alone drive her daughter home. "_Ms. Kmetko?" Sasha said wearily as he wanted to ensure his gymnast got home safely. "Please. Call me Chloe." she stuttered. "Would you and Emily like a ride home?" Sasha offered. "We would love one. Thank you Coach Belov." Emily butted in as she interlocked her arm with her mother's._ Sasha had driven the duo back to their apartment before rushing to the diner to pick his daughter. When he arrived, Ariana was sipping water from a glass and eating a bowl of fresh fruit. Sasha settled down in the booth and ordered himself a cup of coffee. The two chatted about the upcoming events until about 11:00 P.M when they headed back to the Airstream they called home. Aria had fallen asleep as soon as she hit the pillow, but Sasha was not as lucky. His brain would not calm down as thoughts ran rapidly through it. Sasha had tried everything from counting sheep to taking deep calming breaths. Morning rolled around in the blink of an eye, and Sasha was up out of bed as soon as the sun rose. He had put the luggage that belonged to him and his daughter on the astroturf outside the trailer. The bus was scheduled to arrive 8:00 A.M; the girls were required to be here by 8:30. They would depart at 9:00.

"Dad, how long have you been up?" said a groggy Ariana. She rubbed her eyes before sitting up in her bed."All night." Sasha replied as he tried to heat up some turkey bacon in the oven. On the stovetop, he had two sunny side up eggs cooking. "Sleep on the bus. I do not want to be warming up or be coached by a cranky father at Nationals." Ariana told him as she slipped her body out from the covers. "I will not be cranky. But just for that comment, you can add another five minutes to your conditioning circuit later." Sasha said. The timer for the bacon went off, and he used the oven mitts to pull out the hot baking sheet. As he was getting ready to plate breakfast, there was knock on the front door. Ariana glanced at Sasha before covering herself with the bed sheets. Sasha opened the door and peered out the screen to see a perky Kim Keeler and her daughter Payson. "Good Morning Sasha!" they chirped as Sasha reached to push open the screen door. "To what do I owe this visit" he asked as he stepped down from the Airstream and onto the damp turf. "We made our famous muffins for breakfast, and we thought you might rather eat homemade muffins over whatever sugary crap you call cereal." Payson explain as she handed him a plate covered in tin foil. "Thank you for the muffins, but I was just getting ready to eat. I made myself eggs and turkey bacon. I will save these for a snack on the bus ride." said as he took the plate and placed it on the outdoor table and chairs. "Why do you have two luggages?" Payson asked curiously as she pointed to the dark blue suitcase and the pink suitcase that was right next to it. "The pink one contains the brand new team leos." Sasha said. It was not a total lie; they did have new team leos to compete in along with new warm ups. They just were not in the pink suitcase. They were in a box in the gym office. "Can I see?" Payson wondered. "That would not be fair to your teammates. You will be able to see and wear them soon enough." Sasha used as his excuse. "We better get going Pay. I need to make sure Becca has gotten out of bed." Mrs. Keeler explained. "See you in an hour." Sasha bid as he grabbed the plate of muffins and headed back inside.

"Coast is clear. The Keeler's brought us muffins." Sasha said to his daughter who was hiding. He set the plate on the counter and used a spatula to place an egg and a few pieces of bacon on each plate. Carefully, he peeled back the tin foil to reveal six perfect muffins. He placed one on both plates. "Breakfast is served." he said as he handed Ariana a plate and a fork. Aria accepted the food and smiled. She used the side of her fork to break off part of the egg white and ate it. "Not bad Dad. Better than the time you burnt the pancakes, or better yet, gave me food poisoning from not cooking my eggs all the way." Ariana chuckled. "Are you looking for extra conditioning because now you're up to ten minutes with that joke." Sasha said. When they lived in Europe, Dmitri had cooked all the meals. When they moved back to Cambria, Sasha attempted to make breakfast a few times. It always ended up as a disaster. None the less, he tried to be a cook. Cereal with milk was his speciality. "You are not serious about the conditioning, are you? Couldn't you be like a normal parent and ground me or something?" Ariana asked as she picked the fat off of her bacon and put it aside. "Grounding you would be punishing me because we both be cooped up in this trailer. Dmitri used to make me stand in a corner with my arms raised above my head. Would you rather do that?" Sasha jokingly replied. "Eat your breakfast, Dad." Ariana shot back as she was done with this conversation. Sasha chuckled and settled down on the couch which he has folded back up during his sleepless night.

[ Author's Note: Ready for Nationals? They are coming up next. Who is going to be team captain? Which four of the gymnast will represent the Rock on Floor? Vault? Beam? Bars? Who will win the All Around? How is Kelly Parker going to react to this new gymnast? You will just have to wait and see. Leave reviews of your thoughts on what Nationals should be like and what you think of the story! ]


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